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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27876466">Christmas Lights</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bea_weasley/pseuds/bea_weasley'>bea_weasley</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>OTP Advent Calendar [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Muggle, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Hidden Feelings, OTP Advent Calendar, Pining at each other, stuck at airport</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:41:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,449</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27876466</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bea_weasley/pseuds/bea_weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was just luck that Hermione is going to be stuck at an airport just before Christmas eve... but Theo is there to help her</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Theodore Nott</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>OTP Advent Calendar [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032237</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Christmas Lights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day four and this is a pairing that I started to ship thanks to my alpha, this is for you Ash ♥</p><p>Based on this prompt: We're both stuck at the airport for Christmas eve / running at each other in the airport</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p><b> <em>Christmas Lights</em> </b> <b> <em><br/></em> </b></p><hr/><p>Hermione Granger couldn’t wait until she got home: it was the first Christmas that she was going to arrive on Christmas’ Eve — well, on Christmas <em> day </em> actually. She hadn’t intended to take so long to get back home, but her boss was being a horrible person, and she couldn’t wait for her mother’s gingerbread cookies or her dad’s special hot chocolate. It was like Murphy’s Law was laughing at her, because while she was running like a crazy person in the airport, trying to find her gate on time, she was about to run straight into Theodore Nott.</p><p>Theo was someone that Hermione hadn't seen in a long time, but mostly because she needed the distance. They went to school together, and they could even be considered friends, but Hermione had to go and develop a crush on him. She had never told him — afraid that he was going to reject her or laugh at her — but he had always been nice to her. This chance encounter caused all her fantasies about being a successful woman who came back in a dignified manner to go down the rain.</p><p>“Hermione? Hermione <em> Granger </em>? Is that you?” Theo asked after Hermione had not-so-kindly slammed into him.</p><p>“Hey, Theo,” Hermione murmured, ashamed about how she looked. If only a hole could open under her and make her disappear.</p><p>“Wow, what are the odds? Are you flying home, too?” Theo asked enthusiastically, beaming down at her. “What flight are you on? Maybe we’re on the same one.”</p><p>“I’m on BA 112, what about you?” Hermione was trying not to freak out, but it was very difficult to do — especially when she may have to spend ten hours on a flight with her old crush.</p><p>“Me too!” Theo said, smiling like a child on Christmas morning, and Hermione only sighed, resigned to her fate. “May I accompany you to our gate then?”</p><p>“Sure, let’s go,” Hermione said, trying not to let Theo realize how close she was to freaking out. She started to slowly walk in the direction of their gate, seeing that all the running she had done earlier hadn’t helped. Theo walked calmly by her side, looking good even after all these years.</p><p>Hermione had always thought that Theo was the most handsome boy in their school, but now that he was all grown up, Hermione thought he was in the best shape ever. She couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh: it was like Santa Claus was making up for all the times she had asked for Theo to glance in her direction.</p><p>“So, what brings you to New York? I didn’t know where you went after graduation,” Theo said, making small talk, something that Hermione had always hated, but at that moment, it was something she was enjoying more than she thought she would.</p><p>“I’m working at The New Press, you know, the publishing company? I’ve been working there for the last three years,” Hermione said in a matter-of-fact tone. It was her second job after graduation, and she was glad for it; except for how her boss had been acting these past weeks, she didn’t have any reason to complain. “How about you?”</p><p>“I was visiting my mum’s friend, thinking about a job offer that I received,” Theo said without explaining, and Hermione didn’t pry. “New York during Christmas is a vision.”</p><p>“Yes, it’s one of my favourite times of the year,” Hermione said, smiling a little, seeing that they were almost at their gate. “The worst part is just the confusion at the airport.”</p><p>“I can relate to that,” Theo said, laughing, which made butterflies flutter in her stomach. Hermione had naively assumed they had disappeared after graduation, but she was mistaken. “I hope we aren’t late.”</p><p>Hermione could understand why Theo thought that: the area around the gate, which was supposed to be full of people since it was almost time for their flight, was empty. She went to ask an employee about what had happened and was pleasantly surprised when Theo went with her.</p><p>“Excuse me, our flight was supposed to be leaving in forty minutes. Has something happened?” Hermione asked, her heart in her throat.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Miss, but all the flights have been delayed due to bad weather, and we aren’t sure when the flights will be leaving,” the employee said with an apologetic look on her face, which Hermione barely registered. She tried not to hyperventilate; this was just the cherry on top of a bad week, and of course, her school crush was there with her.</p><p>“I think we’re stuck here for a while, huh?” Theo said, trying to calm her, but it had the exact opposite effect. “Hermione, are you all right?”</p><p>She wasn’t. Hermione knew that she was seconds away from having an anxiety attack, and she didn’t want Theo to witness it, but at the same time, she didn’t know what to do or where to go. Even though she didn’t want to cry, tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried to hold them back from spilling forth. When Theo put his hand on her shoulders, she couldn’t contain them anymore.</p><p>“Shh, it’s okay. Everything will be okay, I’m here,” Theo said in a soothing voice that helped to calm Hermione’s nerves, but she still felt a little ashamed about crying in the middle of the airport.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to cry,” Hermione said in a small voice, her tears still streaming down her face. Theo wiped her tears away with his thumb.</p><p>“No need to apologize, Hermione, it could have happened to anyone. Besides, it’s almost Christmas Eve, so I understand our feelings are all over the place.” Theo surprised her once more by kissing her temple, and Hermione felt the tears stopping a little.</p><p>“Thank you, Theo,” Hermione said shyly. “I know it sucks to be stuck in an airport on the day before Christmas, but I’m glad that I’m not alone, and even more glad that it’s you here with me.”</p><p>Theo beamed at her statement, and Hermione smiled a little, thinking that <em> maybe </em> her life was starting to have something good in it. The two decided to sit near the counter in case something changed. In the meantime, they talked about all the things they had done after graduation, their jobs, and even about their teen years. </p><p>“I still can’t believe what you and Potter did to that substitute… even if she deserved it, I still can’t believe <em> you </em> were a part of that,” Theo said, smiling as he remembered the time Hermione and her best friend had made the substitute teacher quit after a well-executed prank.</p><p>“What can I say? I’m awesome like that,” Hermione said, feeling a little better. She could still feel the anxiety in her chest, but it was just background noise now.</p><p>“Yeah, I always thought that,” Theo said with a small smile on his face, which made Hermione turn with a puzzled face to him. “C’mon, you must have known that I fancied you back in school.”</p><p>Hermione was in shock; she didn’t know what to say. Her crush couldn’t have said what she thought he had said; it was <em> impossible </em>! Guys like Theo didn’t have crushes on girls like her. It was something that only happened in movies and books.</p><p>“You fancied <em> me</em>?” Hermione asked with a small voice, not wanting to reveal anything. “Why did you never tell me?”</p><p>“I was terrified of you when we were younger!” Theo was exasperated, running his hands through his hair, and Hermione thought it was adorable. “And I thought that you would never look at me — not in a million years.”</p><p>“I had a crush on you when we were in school,” Hermione said before she lost her courage. Theo just stared at her like he didn’t believe her. “And if I’m being honest, it never went away.”</p><p>“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Theo asked, trying to be certain.</p><p>“Yes, I’m saying that I still have a crush on you, Theo,” Hermione said, biting her lip and looking at him from under her lashes.</p><p>“I know that this is the worst time to ask this, but when we get to London, do you want to go to dinner with me? On a date?” Theo asked apprehensively, to which Hermione smiled.</p><p>“I would <em> love </em> to go on a date with you!” she said, smiling at him, and Theo pulled her into a tight hug. Hermione thought, ‘Maybe being stuck at an airport on Christmas Eve isn’t so bad — not if her Christmas present is my long-time crush asking me out. Thanks, Santa!’</p>
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